


Blind Illusion

by TiffanyF



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-11-28 09:15:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place at the U-17 camp. Niou is injured and Yukimura is worried. Don't own, don't claim, no money made here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Akaya was worried, and it wasn’t something he could figure out on his own. The problem was that both Yanagi-sempai and Jackal-sempai were gone and they were the ones he usually talked to when he was worried or confused about something. He didn’t think Marui-sempai was smart enough to help him out, so that only left him with one option. “Ne, Yagyuu-sempai, what’s wrong with Yukimura-buchou?” he asked softly as they were walking to have dinner.

“What do you mean, Kirihara-kun?” Yagyuu asked in reply.

“He seems sad,” Akaya said.

“I hadn’t noticed; maybe he’s just upset that the others showed such weakness in front of the entire camp,” Yagyuu suggested.

Akaya chewed on his lip for a moment. “No, that’s not it,” he said. “It started before he played his match against Sanada-fukubuchou.”

“Did you ask him about it?” Yagyuu asked. He was curious, even if he wouldn’t show it. He and Yukimura were now sharing a room and he hadn’t noticed anything wrong with his buchou.

“Yeah, and he just told me to go practice,” Akaya pouted. “I’m just worried about him.”

“Would it help if I spoke with him, Kirihara-kun?”

“Yeah,” Akaya said perking up. “Would you, Yagyuu-sempai?”

“Of course, Kirihara-kun,” Yagyuu replied. “I’ll sit with him at dinner, if you can keep Marui-kun away from us.”

“Sure.” Akaya bounced off, happy that his sempai was going to help him, and that he had a job to do that was important.

Yagyuu allowed himself a small smile and paused just inside the door of the cafeteria, looking for Yukimura. The room was only half full, the high schoolers dining in another part of the building, and the loss of half their friends meant a lot more space for the middle schoolers. 

Truthfully, and he would never admit it to anyone, Yagyuu didn’t like the trick that had been played on them by the camp directors. Yagyuu could play singles, but he felt somewhat naked on the court without Niou. and he had a rather uncomfortable feeling in his chest that Niou hated him now, based on his last words before storming off the court. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say the next time he was Niou, but could only hope the Petenshi was willing to listen to him. They were both going to be attending Rikkai high with the rest of the regulars and had planned to take over the tennis team. Now he didn’t even know if he still had a doubles partner, let alone a best friend.

He sighed, not feeling lonely anymore, and made his way out onto the deck. He and Niou were each other’s other halves, the part that completed them, and Yagyuu felt a little lost. Niou hadn’t been himself when they faced off, his illusion sloppy, and that was the only reason Yagyuu had been able to read through it. He always knew when Niou was going to cast an illusion, and Yagyuu still couldn’t believe he’d gone so far as to tell everyone the trick to reading Niou’s illusion.

The moment he’d known he’d gone too far was when Yukimura looked at him, blue eyes flashing furiously. Yagyuu had just broken one of the rules of kings and betrayed a secret technique to the enemy. It was hardly surprising that Yukimura had barely said anything to him since the bus left.

A flash of blue caught his eye and Yagyuu turned to find Yukimura working with the flowers in one of the many beds that filled the camp. It was such an odd thing for the buchou of Rikkai to be doing that, for a moment, Yagyuu was at a loss for words.

“What do you want, Yagyuu?” Yukimura asked in a tone that said he really wanted to be left alone.

“Kirihara-kun is concerned about you, Yukimura-kun, and came to me for advice,” Yagyuu replied. He decided to just get it over with. “I tried to reassure him, but he’s not going to give up on this one until he’s sure everything is okay.”

Yukimura stood up and turned so his back was to the other boy, blue eyes gazing out over the tennis courts. “Everything is fine, Yagyuu,” he said.

“If you’ll excuse me saying so, Yukimura-kun, I don’t believe you,” Yagyuu said. “Kirihara-kun is, after all, only slightly more observant that Sanada-kun, and if he’s noticed you’re upset or sad about something, then there truly must be something wrong. I’d like to help, if I can.”

“You’ve done quite enough.” Yukimura’s voice snapped through the air and fell as soundly as one of Sanada’s slaps. “Now leave me alone.”

Yagyuu bit back a sigh. “Good night, Yukimura-kun.” He turned to leave, but paused when his ears heard a soft sob behind him, a sob that sounded suspiciously like Niou’s first name. Yagyuu kept moving, but now he was curious and resolved to keep his eyes open.  
***************************

Yagyuu was already in bed for the night when Yukimura came in, and he could tell that his buchou had been crying. He debated for a moment asking if Yukimura was okay, if he wanted to talk, but kept quiet because he could still feel the sting from Yukimura’s sharp words earlier. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them until Yagyuu couldn’t take it any longer. “Would you like me to leave, Yukimura-kun?”

“Where would you go?” Yukimura asked softly. “You don’t even understand.”

“I won’t understand unless you tell me,” Yagyuu said sitting up in bed. “This is hardly fair, Yukimura-kun. I realize that you are upset with me for breaking the rule of kings, and yes, I believe I deserve as many laps as you wish to assign. But I believe there is something more to your anger and, until you tell me, there is nothing I can do to make amends.”

“You don’t know anything, Yagyuu Hiroshi,” Yukimura hissed. “This is all your fault and nothing you say or do can make it better.”

“Yukimura-kun,” Yagyuu said. He paused and sighed. “Never mind.”

Silence fell over the room and Yagyuu would have thought Yukimura was asleep if not for the erratic breathing from the other bed. Yagyuu lay still and thought hard. He couldn’t understand why Yukimura was so upset, other than their team had ben halved and it meant the power base would be different when they returned to school. Yukimura’s two best friends were one, one eliminated from the camp at his hand, the other choosing to let Akaya stay and grow while he went off with Inui from Seigaku. But none of that made any sense when Yukimura seemed to be upset about Niou.

Before he could follow that train of thought too far, there was a soft tap at the door. “Seiichi?”

Yagyuu lay as still as possible pretending to be asleep. He heard Yukimura get up and move across the room. “Atobe?”

“The helicopter just landed,” Atobe said in a low voice. “Genichiro, Jackal and Yanagi are all with him. Do you want me to get the others?”

“No, we can tell them tomorrow. Where did they take him?”

“The hospital. The facility is state of the art, Seiichi. You don’t have to worry about that. But I can arrange a flight to anywhere you want if you just say the word.”

“Thank you, but let me see him first and speak with the doctors,” Yukimura said. “Keigo, will you walk with me, please, and tell me exactly what happened?”

“Of course, Seiichi,” Atobe said. “Get your jacket. It’s cold outside and Genichiro would never forgive me if I let you catch a cold.”

Yagyuu waited until he was alone and then got up, slipping on a pair of shoes and following as closely as he dared.

“There is a second training camp,” Atobe was saying, “where those who left this camp were placed. It’s at the trop of a near-by mountain and under the command of a drunkard who seems unable to keep his charges in line.”

“They’ve been so close all this time?” Yukimura asked.

“I’ve received regular updates,” Atobe said. “They were stripped of their uniforms and made to undertake seemingly pointless exercises. I say seemingly because my people say they’ve noticed a change in their ability to play tennis.”

The pair entered a well lit building and started down a hall, Yagyuu still behind them listening. So Niou and the others had still been at camp, just a different section. A camp with no rules or regulations would have been a heaven for the Petenshi.

“What happened?” Yukimura asked.

“He was playing a match against one of the high schoolers and one of the Higa boys yelled out how to tell it was an illusion,” Atobe continued. “the high schooler was so upset at being tricked that he picked up a rock and hit it over the net.”

Yukimura wiped his eyes and spun around. “Because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut, Yagyuu Hiroshi. Because you had to prove that you are better than he is. Because of you Masaharu is in a coma and may never be able to play tennis again.”


	2. Chapter 2

Yagyuu stumbled against the wall and stopped walking. "He's in a coma?" he asked.

"Seiichi, go see him," Atobe said. "Genichiro is waiting for you. I'll take care of this and join you. Go on, just down the hall and to the left. You'll see your team waiting for you."

"Thank you, Keigo," Yukimura replied. He walked off quickly without a glance back.

Atobe sighed. "From what my people told me, Yagyuu, it wasn't a large rock, but it was heavy and it hit a delicate part of the head," he said. "Niou hasn't been checked by anyone, yet, and they're running tests now to see what's going on inside his head, but they're worried about several things. His balance may be impaired. He may never walk without problems again. He could well be blind. We won't know until he wakes up, and that's if he wakes up. There is a possibility this is permanent."

"When will they know for sure?" Yagyuu asked. "Why weren't we all told when it happened?"

"Yukimura wanted to keep the noise down while the doctors were working and planned to tell you, Marui and Akaya tomorrow after breakfast," Atobe said. "The tests they are running will last the rest of the night and into the morning. Right now the best thing you can do is go back to your room and wait. I know you want to be with your team, but consider the events leading up to this attack."

"If I hadn't told everyone how to tell when Niou-kun is casting an illusion this wouldn't have happened," Yagyuu said. "I don't think that Yukimura-kun will let me near them. Would you be willing to keep me updated, Atobe-kun?"

"I will. I will also speak with Seiichi and see if I can get him to cool down a little," Atobe said. "It's bad enough that they were torn apart like this, but for Niou to be injured so badly. It's a reverse of when Seiichi was sick."

"I'm sorry, Atobe-kun, but I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Niou and Yukimura have been dating for a little over a year," Atobe said. "So not only is Seiichi worried about one of his players, which would be bad enough, he is worried about his boyfriend."

Yagyuu sagged down a little, the wall still holding him up. "I had no idea they were dating," he said. "Several things make more sense now."

"Are you going to be all right?" Atobe asked. "I can have Oshitari come sit with you, if you'd like."

"Thank you, but no," Yagyuu said. "I think I'd like to be alone right now."

Atobe nodded and watched the other boy walk off. It wasn't how he would have chosen to have Yagyuu find out about everything, but now that Yagyuu knew, maybe he could work towards helping Niou heal. That was if Yukimura would let Yagyuu near Niou. He sighed. So many complications. He would just have to watch and lend his support where he could.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yukimura, I'm sorry," Sanada said as soon as he caught sight of his friend. "I tried to keep them all safe, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't get to him fast enough."

"I'm sure you did everything you could," Yukimura said. "I know you wouldn't let anyone get hurt without trying to protect them, Sanada. Has there been any word at all?"

"They're still running tests," Sanada said. "Renji has gone along because you weren't here. Are the others coming?"

"Yagyuu tried to, but I told him to stay away until I was calmer," Yukimura said. "Marui and Akaya don't know. I'll have to tell them in the morning. The coaches aren't going to try and keep us apart, are they?"

Sanada sighed. "I think they want to, but no, they're not," he said. "I told them that we will work twice as hard at training once we are certain that Niou will be able to rejoin us and they agreed to those terms."

"Just what I would have done, Sanada, good job," Yukimura said. "There's Renji. There can't be news already, can there?"

"Seiichi, you're going to want to sit down," Yanagi said. "They've completed the first scans of Niou's head and are doing some more in detail to be sure of what they're seeing. The rock impacted and drove a piece of the skull down and into the brain tissue in the vision centers of the brain. There is bleeding and swelling, and Niou will have to undergo surgery to correct as much as they possibly can. Right now, however, they are estimating his chances at regaining full vision below ten percent."

Yukimura slid down the wall. "He'll be blind?" he asked. 

"They believe so. It is always possible that the brain will be able to heal and he will see again," Yanagi said. "Any doctor will tell you that the brain is still quite a mystery to everyone. That is also the only damage they are seeing, although with brain trauma it is nearly impossible to tell exactly how a person will be affected."

"How will he play tennis?" Yukimura asked. "Renji, he lives for his time on the tennis courts. Not being able to play could kill him."

Yanagi sat down next to his friend. "Seiichi, it is possible that this surgery will kill him," he said gently. "There could be enough trauma to the brain that he could die at any time. The doctors are not sure about anything. Let him come back to us before we start worrying about tennis again. I know how Niou feels about the game, but I know that he has a long road ahead of him. Possibly longer than the one you faced after your surgery."

"What happened to the boy who did this to him?" Yukimura asked.

"He's being punished," Sanada said. "He'll be removed from the camps and a report is being made to the police. While the camp encourages playing dirty, an injury such as this is not something they condone."

Yukimura nodded. "When are they taking Masaharu in for surgery?"

"Immediately after the second round of scans," Yanagi said. "All we can do now, Seiichi, is wait."

"Thank you both for being with me during this," Yukimura said. "Sanada, I might have you speak with the others tomorrow. I don't want to leave Niou's side until he's awake."


	4. Chapter 4

"What's Sanada doing here?" Marui asked the next morning when the Rikkai trio walked into the food court. "I thought he'd been kicked out."

"It's a long story," Yagyuu sighed. "Kirihara-kun, you should go and say good morning."

Akaya nodded and hurried over to where Sanada was sitting. He was still worried about Yukimura and seeing Sanada there meant that something was wrong. "Sanada?" he asked softly.

"Good morning, Akaya," Sanada replied. "Marui, Yagyuu, I need the three of you to come with me. You've been excused from your training for the day."

"Is Yukimura okay?" Marui asked. He snagged a doughnut off the table and followed the others out onto the deck area.

"Sit," Sanada said. "Those of us who were sent from the camp after our loses were taken to a remote camp in the wilds. They planned for us to return after we were trained by an old man in the woods and they wanted to see which camp was stronger. It is a test they give each year, only this time, there was a severe injury. Niou was hit in the head with a heavy rock and has been taken back to Tokyo for medical care."

The others looked at Yagyuu who sighed. "Yes, he was hit because of what I said during our match," he said. "Sanada-kun, I will leave if you think it will help the situation more."

"Right now, no, it won't," Sanada said. "Yes, Yukimura is furious, but his concern is for Niou. The scans taken last night before Niou was taken in for immediate surgery showed that bone from his skull had been driven into his brain by the blow to his head. The doctors here are good, they are the top in their field, but such a sever head injury is beyond them and they feel that Niou needs to be in Tokyo for the best chances at survival."

"Niou could die?" Akaya asked in a small voice.

"He could, Akaya," Sanada said. "There was extensive trauma to his head and brain. The doctors here operated to put a drain in place, but didn't want to risk removing the bone for fear of causing more damage to the areas of the brain already impacted. Renji and Jackal are gathering your things, Yukimura went with Niou already. We have permission from the camp directors to go and be with Niou until he recovers enough that we will be able to focus on tennis again. Remaining here is your choice."

"We're a team, Sanada," Marui said. "They'll let us come back?"

"They will," Sanada said.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?"  
***

Yukimura stood with Niou's parents while the doctor talked to them about further surgeries, possible outcomes, and the possibility that Niou could die from the surgeries they needed to perform. Niou's father told the doctor to do his best to bring Niou back to them as whole as possible. The doctor nodded, bowed and left. Yukimura finally spoke up. "Niou-san, I am so sorry for this," he said softly. "We were separated at the camp and I wasn't able to watch my team as I should have. I feel that Masaharu's injury is my fault."

"Of course it's not your fault, Seiich-kun," Niou's mother said. She wrapped him in a hug. "Tennis can be a dangerous sport, especially when one of the players is a trickster. Masaharu is strong, he'll pull through this and overcome any challenge they put in his path. Just like you did."

"I'll be here for him, just as he was for me," Yukimura said. "The others will be here soon, I'm sure. Sanada was going to talk with them and give them the choice of joining us or remaining at the camp. I know my team, they will all come."

"You're closer than a team, aren't you?" Niou's mother said. "Come, we have a long wait ahead of us. Let's sit for a while."

"I'll go find something to eat," Niou's father said. "You both need to keep your strength up."

"Thank you," Yukimura said. "We've all been through so much together, as a team. This was going to be our final achievement before we moved to high school. Now Niou won't be able to join us."

"He will, it will just take a little more time," Niou's mother said. "Even if he is blind, I'm sure he'll find his way back to the tennis courts. Masaharu lives for tennis, which is why I'm so happy he found you and the others. You and Sanada-kun helped give him focus, which he needed. Masaharu might not be one hundred percent healthy ever again, but he will be alive and he will be with us. Right now, that's all that matters. We haven't lost him."


	5. Chapter 5

The team found Yukimura and Niou's parents in the waiting room when they arrived at the hospital. "Yukimura, has there been any word?" Sanada asked.

"No, other than he's still alive," Yukimura replied. "I'm not sure what all they're doing, what repairs they'll be able to make, or how much longer they'll be."

"I'll do research on brain injuries," Yanagi said. "It will be best for us to know everything we can. Yagyuu, do you thing your father would be able to help us with this, or at least give us a starting place to work from?"

Yagyuu shrugged. "We can ask him," he said.

"Then why don't we do that," Yanagi said. "Seiichi, I'll call later, but feel that my time will be better spent with research."

"Of course, Renji," Yukimura said with a smile. 

"Is there anything we can do, Yukimura?" Marui asked.

"I don't know," Yukimura replied. "Sanada...."

"I understand, Yukimura," Sanada said. "Come, we'll go get supper for everyone.."

Akaya sat down next to Yukimura. "I'll stay here," he said.

"It's okay, Sanada," Yukimura said. "I'll keep an eye on him. Thank you, everyone." He waited until the team was gone. "You wanted to ask me something, Akaya?"

"Yeah, Yagyuu said that this is all his fault because of what he said. Is Yagyuu in trouble?"

"Oh, Akaya, it's so confusing," Yukimura said. "I know that, ultimately, Niou could have been injured the same way without Yagyuu revealing how to tell when Niou's cast an illusion, but it's hard for me to remember that when Niou is in surgery fighting for his life."

Niou's mother sat down with the boys. "The one to blame is the one who hit the rock at Masaharu," she said. "Akaya-kun, remember that things can be said at any time, especially when people are mad or emotions are running high, and it seems like they hurt worse than they do. You must always look for the root cause of any problem and not blame the wrong person for events."

"I need to apologize to Yagyuu as well," Yukimura said. "I lashed out at him when I first learned that Masaharu was hurt and I shouldn't have. He needs to know that I don't really blame him for this. My emotions were running high and, as you say Niou-san, it is very easy to place blame in a situation like that."

"Yes it is," Niou's mother said. "Just as long as you have a chance to talk with him and hear what he has to say to you. Now, that said, I know how closely Masaharu guards his illusion techniques and having his biggest secret announced on the court would have hurt him. They'll have to work through that problem on their own."

Yukimura looked up. "How did you get to be so wise, Niou-san?" he asked.

"It comes with being a parent, Seiichi-kun," she replied with a smile. "Knowledge and wisdom come from life and having children just teaches you that much more. I know my son and I know that Masaharu is a fighter. He will find a way to rejoin us. It may take far more time than we expect and there will be set-backs, but he will return to us. There are still too many things he wishes to learn and do. This injury won't keep him down forever. Always remember that."


	6. Chapter 6

Niou's parents were the only ones let in when he was in the recovery room, but once he was moved into ICU, Niou's mother convinced the hospital staff to let Yukimura in to see Niou for a few minutes. Yukimura wasn't sure what he was going to find on the other side of the curtain, but his boyfriend pale enough to match the sheets he was lying on and his head wrapped in white bandages wasn't on the list. "Oh, Masaharu," he whispered. 

"The doctors assure me it looks worse than it is, for now," Niou's mother said from behind him. "They managed to remove all of the bone and bone fragments from the impact site, cleaned the area and put a plate in to help stabilize the skull. There was no way to repair the damage done to the brain, not without causing more problems, they have a drain in place to keep fluid from building up and causing pressure inside the skull. Now all we can do is wait."

"They don't think he'll wake up again, do they?" Yukimura asked.

"They said they're cautiously optimistic, which means there's about a fifteen percent chance he'll wake up again," Niou's mother said. "I only know this because of what happened with my mother. She had a very honest doctor caring for her before she died, and I remember what that doctor said about language and percentages. I think that we should take turns being here with him, talking, letting him know that he has family waiting for him to join us again."

Yukimura nodded. "The team will help as well, if the hospital will let them in for half an hour or so," he said. "Will you and your husband be staying the night?"

"Yes, grandfather is going to watch the younger boys."

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll take the chance to speak with Yagyuu and try to make amends for my actions at the camp," Yukimura said. "Go home briefly, pack a few of Masaharu's favorite things he's left at my place, and I'll be back before breakfast to sit with him. I don't want to leave him, but you have the best chance of reaching him. I know how much he loves you both."

"We'll get him back together, Seichii-kun," Niou's mother said. "You boys should all go and get a good night's sleep so you'll be well rested to spend the day with Masaharu. Let my husband and me spend the nights, which are the most dangerous times."

"Very well, Niou-san, thank you for allowing me to be with him," Yukimura said with a bow. "Would you like me to bring you breakfast in the morning?"

"That would be lovely, thank you."

Yukimura carefully picked up one of Niou's hands. "I'll go make amends with your other half, Masaharu, and see you tomorrow," he said softly. "Don't forget that you are Rikkai, and we battle back, Masaharu. We are the kings and we always come through."


	7. Chapter 7

"Yagyuu, walk with me," Yukimura said softly.

"Yukimura?"

"It's okay, Sanada. Everyone needs to go home and sleep," Yukimura said. "Niou-san and her husband will be staying with Masaharu at night. We have permission to visit with him during the day, so we will need to take turns. If you all can meet me around ten? I'd like some time alone with Masaharu before everyone else sees him."

The team nodded and headed out for the night. Yagyuu looked over at Yukimura. "What can I do for you, Yukimura-kun?" he asked.

"Come walk with me for a minute," Yukimura replied. "I wanted to say how sorry I am for lashing out at you when you found out the truth about Masaharu. It was unfair of me to do so, and I apologize for my words."

"You were partly right, Yukimura-kun," Yagyuu said, falling into step next to Yukimura. "If I had not announced to the entire camp how to tell when Niou-kun is casting an illusion, he would not have been in a position to be hurt as he was. He placed trust in me as his doubles partner and I betrayed that trust. I will have to find a way to show him how sorry I am for my words. They were not fair, and I shouldn't have said them. What is to become of the one that hurt Niou-kun?"

Yukimura sighed. "Legal action is being taken, but I'm not sure what all is being done," he admitted. "I'm so worried about Masaharu that my focus has been on him and trying to plan for his recovery. Niou-san said that, right now, there is only a 15% chance we'll get him back at all. She said the nights are the most dangerous times, so if he survives tonight, it is possible that percentage will go up. I know that Masaharu is strong enough to overcome anything thrown at him, but this might be too much for him."

Yagyuu pulled Yukimura into a hug. "I didn't know you and Niou-kun were dating, Yukimura-kun," he said. "That's the one thing he never told me. You have always been able to tell when we're switched, so I suppose it didn't matter then, but it does now. We will get Niou-kun back as a team because we are as much his family as his parents and siblings are. Then we will be there for him every step of his recovery, just as we were for you."

"Thank you, Yagyuu. I don't deserve such easy forgiveness,"Yukimura said.

"You do, Yukimura-kun," Yagyuu said. "You were brave enough to admit you were in the wrong, I cannot hold that against you when I was in the wrong as well. We just need to be sure that we can go forward together."

"We can," Yukimura said. "As a team, just like you said, Yagyuu. Masaharu is going to know that we're there for him, no matter what happens. I just have to find a way to prepare myself for the worst."

"He's too strong to die, Yukimura-kun."

"I don't doubt that," Yukimura said with a wry grin. "No, it is very possible he will be blind when he wakes up, with little to no chance of ever regaining his eyesight. I do not know how he will find the will to live when the one thing he loves the most is taken from him."

"I would think that Niou-kun loves you more than he loves tennis, Yukimura-kun."

Yukimura couldn't help the smile. "Tennis is our first love, Yagyuu, and we both have admitted that point," he said. 

"If Fuji-kun and Echizen-kun could both play blind, Yukimura-kun, then I have no doubt that Niou-kun will find a way to do so as well," Yagyuu said. "Come on, let's get you home. I imagine you plan to be back at the hospital before the sun is up."

"As close onto it as I can," Yukimura said.


End file.
